Quoting Jimyvr (Thread starter):When BA ordered four Boeing 777s in February, commercial director Robert Boyle said its long-haul pilots and crew were used to handling Boeings

I'm not sure whether being used to 'handling' Boeings has anything to do with aircraft deliveries....it didn't stop BA ordering brand-new Airbus a/c which BA crew subsequently had to train for, and later operate (without any problems)...

The airline is also looking at buying Airbus's A380 superjumbo, but won't make a final decision until September, as it weighs up the plane against Boeing's new 747-8 jumbo.

"We will need to be convinced that the aircraft (A380) is right for us in the long term, over the next 25 to 30 years," Walsh said. "Clearly price will be a very important factor."

The A380, which will seat 555 people in a standard layout, could be an attractive option for routes such as London-Hong Kong, where BA needs to move a large number of passengers in a narrow time window, Walsh said.

Quoting Keesje (Reply 12):Wash says "Clearly price will be a very important factor." Looking at the rather big differences between 748i and A380 this doesn´t sound very credible to me..

Well the A380 does list for about $30 million more, on average, then a 748I. With similar discounting (percentage-wise) likely, I expect both RFPs will come in relatively close to each other with the 747 probably having the absolute edge. But then price will not be the only factor weighed.

Quoting Stitch (Reply 13):But then price will not be the only factor weighed.

That what I mean. Network requirements (demand, competition) tends to be the most important factor "Looking over the next 25 to 30 years" 15% more capasity on the 747-8i over the 744 might be challenging (current growth 5% per year).

Quoting Keesje (Reply 14):That what I mean. Network requirements (demand, competition) tends to be the most important factor "Looking over the next 25 to 30 years" 15% more capasity on the 747-8i over the 744 might be challenging (current growth 5% per year).

I've mentioned it before, you always assume that the growth of 5% over the next 25 years will be on existing routes, which may very well not be the case, and the trend we've seen the last ten-twenty years, with more routes, have proven that. In other words, a 747-8i may fit very well even 20 years from now on most routes.

Quoting Brendows (Reply 15):In other words, a 747-8i may fit very well even 20 years from now on most routes.

That may be the case. Most airlines so far didn´t believe it. If you are are based at LHR and fly almost exclusively to other (slot restricted) hubs 15% might not be ideal for the next 25 yrs. Like Walsh says "The A380 .... could be an attractive option for routes such as London-Hong Kong, where BA needs to move a large number of passengers in a narrow time window"

I think you all are forgetting one salient fact: British Airways is not hard-pressed for landing slots at London Heathrow, since they own a large fraction of the landing slots at that airport anyway. As such, BA does not need the largest plane flying in and out of LHR, especially when you consider how many flights BA has to JFK, for starters. This makes it more likely that BA will order a combination of 777-300ER and 747-8I to replace their older 747-400's.

Say what you will, but BA is one airline that really needs the A380 to remain competitive. I would be shocked if they chose the 748i over the A380 because the big Bus offers more room and options for 1st and Business Class seating, which is very important when competing against Qantas, Virgin Atlantic or Singapore.

Is the new terminal at Heathrow and the terminals at LAX and JFK that BA use set up for the 380? If BA is focused on business or premium travel, frequency is what matters. At least for me, the airline with the most flights to my prime destinations gets my business travel.

there is economy class, business class, first class...then Concorde..pure class

Quoting FLALEFTY (Reply 19):I would be shocked if they chose the 748i over the A380 because the big Bus offers more room and options for 1st and Business Class seating, which is very important when competing against Qantas, Virgin Atlantic or Singapore.

But BA does not have much direct competion from any of those airlines. The only route where they come close to competing is the Kangaroo route but there BA has a joint service agreement with QF. So BA passengers can still fly on the A380 if they feel like it. In fact I suspect BA may be dropping their flights to AUS sooner or later anyway. VS, despite all it's publicity, is not much of a competiton and even they're not sure if they'll ever take any A380's. And SQ really only offers competition on 1 route, LHR-SIN, where BA/QF have share the route. Bottom line is, BA doesn't really need the A380 which is not to say that they won't order it. If it fits their needs they will but I would be very surprised. BA is very big on offering frequencies.

Wasn't the 748i the plane that BA wanted Boeing to build? Even after the 380 came out? Stands to reason that they will have a hard time not buying some of them, and maybe some 777s as well.

The 380 may have a place at BA in smaller numbers, but does BA really need to rush an order? This is not like the 787 where slots have been filling up rather fast. BA can take their time, look at performance in actual operations and also look at what Airbus is going to do with new engines, etc. in the future.

As for the 380-748i price competition, Airbus at some time has to start making some good margins on the 380 - they can't continue with launch pricing. Boeing, on the other hand, can still justify launch pricing and probably gave BA some very attractive numbers even before LH made their purchase. I think that Boeing is in a better position on the cost side.

Overall it looks to me like a Boeing order for all buy 10-12 380s somewhere down the line.

Quoting RayChuang (Reply 17): think you all are forgetting one salient fact: British Airways is not hard-pressed for landing slots at London Heathrow, since they own a large fraction of the landing slots at that airport anyway.

Yes they are! They have a bit over a third of the slots at LHR, but it is their headquarters and they can't fly all the routes they want to from there because of lack of slots! Belive me it would simplify BA operations and reduce their costs if they could fly all their routes from LHR only instead of LHR & LGW.

So while conserving slots may not be BAs highest priority it is definately a factor and the A380 may save them enough slots to justify another aircraft type, then again it may not!

Quoting RayChuang (Reply 17):British Airways is not hard-pressed for landing slots at London Heathrow, since they own a large fraction of the landing slots at that airport anyway.

They own them, that's true - but they're also using them! If they had dozens of unused slots, they'd not be hard-pressed for them... but the fact that there's not much, if any, room for expansion left at LHR (for BA as well as for anyone else), pretty much makes BA about as hard-pressed, if not even more, as the other airlines are.

Quoting Airbazar (Reply 21):But BA does not have much direct competion from any of those airlines.

BA and VS not being in direct competition? ... that's rather surprising...

And BA and SQ compete on just about anything that's in Asia or Australia/New Zealand, which happens to be quite a lot as well...

Not sure where you got the idea that BA doesn't have much direct competition from these airlines, but I'd say that they're (ok... QF excluded) pretty much some of BA's main competitors.